A ban on TV junk food adverts being shown before 9pm will come into force from 1 October 2025, the government has said.
In a bid to tackle childhood obesity, the government said it would be enforced alongside a total ban on paid-for online adverts promoting products that are high in fat, salt and sugar.
Health minister Andrew Gwynne said the new rules deliver on a Labour manifesto commitment to implement the restrictions, with the timeline set out to ‘provide clarity’ for businesses.
A number of products will be exempt from the new restrictions as they are already subject to other regulations.
This includes diet replacement products, baby formula, approved meal replacement drinks, processed cereal-based foods for infants and medicinal drinks.
In a written ministerial statement, Andrew Gwynne told MPs: ‘More than one in five children in England are overweight or living with obesity by the time they start primary school, and this rises to more than one-third by the time they leave.
‘We want to tackle the problem head on, and that incudes implementing the restrictions on junk food advertising on TV and online without further delay.’
Contract changes needed
This comes as Lord Ara Darzi’s full and independent investigation into the state of the NHS concluded the service is in a ‘critical condition’.
Looking at invesment, quality of care and the nation’s health, the report identified serious and widespread problems for people accessing services.
However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted the NHS ‘may be broken, but it’s not beaten’.
Looking at dentistry, the report said COVID-19 has a lot to answer for when it comes to performance.
The report said: ‘Dental access was particularly badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and is still recovering. If dentistry is to continue as a core NHS service, urgent action is needed to develop a contract that balances activity and prevention, is attractive to dentists and rewards those dentists who practice in less served areas.
‘There are enough dentists in England, just not enough dentists willing to do enough NHS work, which impacts provision for the poorest in society.’
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